By Taylor Malottki Students at Hickman High School in Columbia lobbed softball-sized oranges across the cafeteria minutes before the bell rang releasing them to class. Thanks to poor hand-eye coordination, some of the oranges ended up rolling on the floor between the tangle of students’ legs. Handfuls of celery sticks and forests of broccoli were…

By Taylor Malottki Kattesh Katti remembers the warm summer evening in India when his life was forever changed. It was a spectacular ending to a day spent out on the cricket fields at the local university. Katti and his friends were following a shortcut home when the boys saw something peculiar. Test tubes, bottles, and…

By Taylor Malottki Editor’s Note: This article is from our Science for Kids series, aimed at children in grades 4-8. Have you ever wondered if your dog could tell how you felt? New research shows that dogs can tell whether people are angry or happy just from their facial expressions. Researchers in Europe –Vienna, Austria to…

By Taylor Malottki Shanna Swan, professor and vice chair for research and mentoring at Mount Sinai Medical Center, pushed her research in the right direction by collecting extra samples. Swan is known for her research on phthalates, the chemical used to make plastics flexible, and the effects they have on fetal development. She presented her research to…

By Taylor Malottki Some kids may think reading about science is boring, but what about the magical adaptations of reindeer? Or drinking water recycled from poop? Those topics and more are catching students’ attention through Mike Szydlowski’s weekly “Did You Know Kids” articles in the Columbia Tribune. Szydlowski, science coordinator with the Columbia School District, aims…

Taylor Malottki is studying Health Science Print & Digital News at the University of Missouri– Columbia. In May she will graduate with a Bachelors of Journalism and double minors in English and economics. She worked for the University’s SciXchange program from 2012-2014 and is now interning for the interior design company, Scout & Nimble. Taylor has always…